NHTSA Complaint #10346699 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID,(PROBLEM), IMA BATTERY DISCHARGE, WHILE DRIVING THE BATTERY WILL DISCHARGE TO 0 OR 1 BAR AND MOTOR ASSIST WILL NOT WORK UNTIL BATTERY CHARGES UP, WHICH CAN TAKE AWHILE, WITH NO ASSIST THE CAR IS SLOW AND DANGEROUS. ALSO WITH LOW OR NO BATTERY POWER THE GAS MILEAGE DROPS ABOUT 20%. THE REASON YOU BUY A HYBRID. AFTER RESEARCH ON THE WEB THIS SEEMS TO BE A LARGE PROBLEM MANY OTHER HAVE IT APPEARS THAT HONDA DOESN'T HAVE A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER WILL REPROGRAM YOUR IMA SYSTEM WHICH DOESN'T ALLOW FOR AS MUCH BATTERY BACKUP,WHICH ALSO DECREASES GAS MILEAGE. THIS GIVES THE MPG OF MANY OTHER CHEAPER NON HYBRID CARS. IF AFTER MANY BATTERY DISCHARGES AND IF THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER SHOWS THAT THE BATTERY IS BAD THEN A NEW BATTERY CAN BE INSTALLED, THE PROBLEM STILL IS THERE, THE REPROGRAMMED IMA SYSTEM STILL DOESN'T ALLOW FOR FULL BATTERY BACKUP AND THE MPG WILL NOT INCREASE TO NEW CARE STATUS. AGAIN, NOT WHAT YOU PAID FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. I THINK HONDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. MANY HYBRID OWNERS SIMPLY WANT WHAT THEY BOUGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE. I THINK WITH YOUR HELP,MAYBE HONDA WILL STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND NOT TRY TO COVER UP OR PROLONG THE BATTERY WITH UPDATES TO THE IMA SYSTEM WHICH APPEARS NOT TO HELP, THIS SEEMS TO PROLONG BATTERY LIFE, BUT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THE FULL BENEFIT OF THE HYBRID CONCEPT. *TR